Application of the Computer

Application of Computer

Computers have their utility everywhere. They are useful in every walk of life from home to school, from office to entertainment, from a playground to space and so forth. We find their applications in almost every ground of life including the fields where computations are

required to be done at a very fast speed.

Computers are being used almost in every department these days to do the work at a greater speed and accuracy. They are able to keep the record of all the employees and prepare their pay bill in a matter of minutes every month. Besides the large applications, there are numbers of small to medium business applications, which have a direct benefit in cost saving or improving the service quality to customers which increase the revenue. Some of the prominent areas of computer applications are:

1. In communication: Communication involves transferring information in the form of audio, video, text, hypertext etc. from one place to another. These items can be transferred by using the combination of hardware, software, resources and quality networking. People from all over the world can communicate each other within a minute with low cost.
2. In Tourism: Hotels use computers to speed up billing and check out the availability of rooms. Computers are also used for the railway and airlines reservations. Architects can display their scale models on a computer and study them from different perspectives. Structural problems can now be solved quickly and accurately.
3. In Banking: Banks also have started using computers adequately. Terminals are placed in the branch and the main computer is located centrally. This structure facilitates the branches to use the central computer system for information on current balance, deposits, dues, overdrafts, interest charges, etc. MICR encoded cheques can be read and sorted out with a speed of 2500 cheques per minute by computers as compared to the long time taken by manual sorting. Electronic funds transfer (EFT) allows a person to transfer funds through signals of computers over wires and telephone lines making the work possible in a very short time.
4. In Insurance: Computer is used successfully in the insurance companies where it has to process a large volume of insurance policies. The computer keeps track of each policy’s maturity date & premium date, calculate the assured amount taking into account the scheme and benefits and interest calculations, print policy renewal notices and forward them to all customers.
5. In Industry: Computers are finding their greatest use in factories and industries of all kinds. They have made works easier and flexible ranging from monotonous and risky jobs like welding to highly complex jobs such as process control. Machinery can be monitored through computers. Moreover, quality control tests and the manufacturing of products are done with the help of computers. Besides, thermal power plants, oil refineries, and chemical industries are fully dependent on computerized control system because in such industries the delay between two major events may be just a fraction of a second.
6. In Transportation: Today computers have made it possible for planes to land during extreme weather conditions. The aircraft has a variety of sensors, which measure the plane’s condition in regard to direction, speed, and altitude. The computer uses all this information to keep the plane on the right route. The auto–pilot feature has made the work of pilot much easy. It is also possible to get a confirmed seat number on the plane that you will be flying on the desired date and check your baggage at the airlines office instead of the airport to avoid the rush at the last minute.
7. In Education: Computers have proved to be excellent teachers. They can possess the knowledge given to them by the specialists and teach you with all the persistence in the world. It has the ability to solve a bunch of academic queries in a fraction of a second. You may like to repeat a lesson hundred times, go ahead, you may get tired but the computer will not stop teaching you. Computer-based instructions and Computer Aided Learning (CAL) are common tools used in the process of teaching. Computer-based encyclopedias provide you enormous amount of information on anything. Computers coupled with networking tend to create an e-learning environment which can be accessed worldwide.
8. In Entertainment: Computer is also regarded as a great tool for entertainment lovers. Many computer games are available ranging from smart mind games to thrillers. Computers enable people to enjoy regular outdoors games like football, cricket, basketball, etc.in a wonderfully simulated environment with catchy effects. Moreover, it allows one to watch movies, listen to music and enjoy through a wide variety of entertainment-oriented application programs.
9. At Home: At home, a computer is used to maintain private or individual records and to access much other information on the Internet. People can also use computer at home for making a household budget and maintain a proper control on its expenditures.
10. In Medical sector: Nearly every area of the medical field uses computers on their work. For example, computers are used for managing patient’s history & other related records. They are also used for monitoring the patient’s condition, maintaining pharmacy related records, carrying out medical experiments, diagnosis of diseases, performing observations operating medical equipment’s, etc.
11. In Business: Today, in global markets, it is impossible to run the business without the use of computer technology. Business activities are performed very promptly and conveniently by using computers. The administrative paperwork is also downsized by using computers. Many businesses use online features to sell their products and contact their customers. Some of the notable business applications are inventory control, payroll, accounts receivable, accounts payable, interest calculation, budget forecast, project evaluation, book-keeping, tax calculation, etc.

Capabilities of computer

• The computer performs the jobs with 100% accuracy through error detection with the performing computations being thousands time faster than humans.
• It can do the jobs repeatedly without error, avoiding the fatigue that a human body presents.
• It has the capability of making more than one media (e.g. audio, video, text, image, etc.) come into operation together as multimedia.
• Different schools, colleges as well as various universities use the computer as educational tools.
• Computers can perform critical as well as dangerous tasks that may be hazardous if performed by human beings.
• It can provide required information for facilitating the decision-making process.
• Computers have vast storage facilities which can hold numerous data, files and records of users.
• Computers accept data through different types of devices in the form of text, number, voice, photograph, etc.

Limitations of computer

• Software for special one brand may not be usable on another brand.
• It requires some knowledge or skills for good operation.
• Computers lack natural intelligence since it doesn't have its own brain.
• It needs programs stored into its memory so as to function properly or effectively.
• The computer can't memorize data unless they are given instruction to store the data.
• The sequence of computers can't be changed while performing the task as per requirement.

Reference

Ghishing, Er.Ashim. Computer Science. Kathmandu, Nepal: Benchmark , 2008.